Wondering what new romance book releases you MUST read this month? Don’t miss this list of the most anticipated new releases dropping in May 2023.
Below are 11 titles that I think could vie for best romance book of 2023 and I cannot wait to read them.
Several of these romance books also made my most anticipated romance books of 2023 list but a few are releases that snuck up on me!
If you’re looking for even more new romance book releases for the month (and year!), bookmark my upcoming releases page or check out my previous monthly release book posts.
Add these must-read titles to your TBR list and then be sure to share your most anticipated romance book release coming this May in the comments below.
Happy reading, because life is better with a love story…
*Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program so if you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Most Anticipated New Romance Books Coming May 2023:
Meet Me at the Lake
by Carley Fortune
Second Chance Romance
Releasing May 2, 2023
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city.
The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s lakeside resort—something she vowed never to do.
The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan—a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips.
Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago.
Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
Fortune’s debut novel, Every Summer After, was an instant hit so I know that there are high hopes for her second novel.
I love romances where a connection is made in just one day but then it’s years later when we finally see the characters make their way back to one another.
I really hope I’m not devasted by what Will is hiding and that this book turns out to be one of my favorite romance novels for 2023.
Related: Best Second Chance Romance Books
Fourth Wing
by Rebecca Yarros
Fantasy Romance
Releasing May 2, 2023
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history.
Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, the end of your life is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would take out Violet to better their own chances of success.
The rest would end her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the battle outside grows more dangerous, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the ledger of those lost continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
This fantasy romance made my list of most anticipated romance books of 2023 because it sounds SO good! I’m desperate for a great fantasy romance to read and I’m ready for ALL THE DRAGONS!
This new romance book has a distinct enemies to lovers vibe and I cannot wait to check it out. Read my review of Fourth Wing.
Related: Best Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Romance Books
Practice Makes Perfect
by Sarah Adams
Fake Relationship Romance
Releasing May 2, 2023
Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match – someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky.
Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is ‘so unbelievably boring’.
Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.
Will – the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard – is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker.
Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself.
Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur.
You never have to twist my arm to read a fake relationship romance, but throw in a romance featuring a hot bodyguard and some lessons in love and I’m all for it.
Really, Adams had me at tattooed hottie who’s willing to be her relationship coach and teach Annie a thing or two about lust and passion. It’s always fun when the quiet ones let loose.
Related: Best Bodyguard Romance Books
Best Men
by Sidney Karger
Gay Romance Novel
Releasing May 2, 2023
Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige.
But then Max’s whole world is turned upside down when Paige suddenly announces some huge news: she’s engaged and wants Max to be her man of honor.
Max was always the romantic one who imagined he would get married before the unpredictable Paige and is shocked to hear she’s ready to settle down. But it turns out there’s not just one new man in Paige’s life—there are two.
There’s the groom, Austin, who’s a perfectly nice guy. Then there’s his charming, fun and ridiculously handsome gay younger brother, Chasten, who is Austin’s best man.
As Paige’s wedding draws closer, Max, the introverted Midwesterner, and Chasten, the social butterfly East Coaster, realize they’re like oil and water. Yet they still have to figure out how to coexist in Paige’s life while not making her wedding festivities all about them.
But can the tiny romantic spark between these two very different guys transform their best man supporting roles into the leading best men in each other’s lives?
This romance is my most anticipated new gay romance book for 2023! I’m all about books that feature weddings, especially when they weave in a great opposites attract love story.
It’s been a while since I read a MM romance that wowed me so here’s hoping this one rectifies that problem.
Related: Best Gay Romance Novels
Stars Collide
by Rachel Lacey
Lesbian Romance Book
Releasing May 2, 2023
Eden Sands has been a star for twenty years, but it’s lonely at the top. Her mediocre marriage just ended, and her inner circle is smaller than ever. The stage is the only place she’s ever felt like she truly belonged, and yet, her last album flopped, and her upcoming tour hasn’t sold out.
Eden’s desperate for her star to shine bright again, but when her team suggests a collaboration with an up-and-coming young star to give her a boost, she balks.
Anna Moss is pop music’s rising star. She’s idolized Eden Sands for most of her life—so it’s a dream come true when she’s invited to perform with her at the Grammys.
Anna’s tired of being defined by her bubbly persona. She wants to be taken seriously as an artist, and a duet with Eden could be just what she needs.
As Anna and Eden rehearse, they soon realize they have more in common than their musical talents.
Now they just have to decide if what is between them is a one-hit wonder or the making of a romance worthy of one of the greatest love songs of all time.
I’m excited to check out this new lesbian romance for 2023 that is a bit of rock star romance and age gap romance in one.
I hope we get a mix of their life and collaboration on stage as well as some steaminess behind-the-scenes!
Related: Best Lesbian Romance Books
The Vinyl Frontier
by Lola West
An Opposites Attract, College Romance
Releasing May 4, 2023
What happens when an uptight preppy frat boy sets his sights on a punk rock princess? #superherolevelchaos
Zack Worthington’s life is a carefully curated performance. Controlled by his politician father, he stands on his mark and recites his lines. There’s no room for deviation, no time for comic books and no patience for obscure Trekkie facts. He’s all business, polished to a shine–the sparkling jewel in his father’s crown.
Then one night, Zack lays eyes on a girl he can’t unsee…
Open minded, self-sufficient, Deaf drummer, Molly Mills is working hard to find her rhythm in a competitive college music program. She’s driven to prove herself to nearly everyone, even while living off of packaged noodles and thrift-store clothing.
Watching her alone on the dance floor, punky, free and wild, Zack told himself that opposites attract was totally not a real thing. But a couple days later when he realizes he’s the teaching assistant in her research methodologies class, he can’t ignore his instincts. He has to know her.
Only Molly isn’t interested in his platitudes and superficial chit-chat.
Suddenly, all bets are off because this buttoned up, rule-following rich guy actually wants to be more than meets the eye.
I cannot wait to read this opposites attract romance! This is the fourth in a great series of standalones (the Lessons Learned series) that I highly recommend but the characters alone intrigue me so much with this one.
I love the idea of a straight-laced guy falling for a punk girl and I also love the diversity representation of a deaf character. Check it out this month!
Related: Best College Romance Books
Runaway Love
by Melanie Harlow
Single Dad Romance
Releasing May 4, 2023
Yes, I’m a single dad who needs a nanny for the summer. But hire the stranded runaway bride who shows up on my doorstep in a wedding gown with no references, no skills, and no experience? No one is that desperate.
Except within twenty-four hours, down-on-her-luck Veronica Sutton manages to charm my kids, my family, and half the population of Cherry Tree Harbor into believing she’s perfect for the job. And for me.
It’s not that I can’t see the appeal–those baby blue eyes? The endless legs? That mouth made for trouble? But I’ve got enough on my plate, raising two kids on my own and keeping the family business alive. I don’t have the time or the inclination to fall for an outspoken city girl.
Holding her in my arms was a big mistake. Even worse? Spending the night together. She ignites a possessive fire in me that I’m finding hard to snuff out.
But the most unforgivable? Growing attached to the sound of her laugh, the scent of her skin, and the way her body wraps around mine in the dark.
At the end of the summer, she’ll be gone. And if I’m not careful, she might run away with my heart.
Melanie Harlow has the market on small town romances but I love how she weaves in so many other romance book tropes into her books. I adore runaway bride books so that made this new release a shoe-in for me to read this month.
Related: Best Single Dad Romance Books
Queen Charlotte
by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes
Historical Romance
Releasing May 9, 2023
In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.
Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III.
But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.
Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court… all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away.
Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny… as Queen.
It’s going to be REALLY hard to wait to watch the TV series, Queen Charlotte when it drops in early May until I read this book but I’m determined.
I love Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series and I think it’s fantastic that she teamed up with Rhimes for this prequel.
Related: Julia Quinn Books in Order, Books Like Bridgerton
Charlie, Love and Cliches
by Ella Maise
Contemporary Romance
Releasing May 11, 2023
Six years ago at a random diner I met a stranger and he became the-one-who-got-away, or more correctly the-one-who-didn’t-show-up.
William Carter, the stranger I’d met six years ago was the last person I’d imagine ever seeing at my dad’s firm where I work. While I panic and fight off the butterflies in my stomach and in general struggle to act normal, I realize he doesn’t even remember me.
Things get worse when I learn we’ll need to work in close quarters to each other, but at least I let him know that I don’t have a crush on him anymore right away.
While I’m in the process of writing lists and making serious changes in my life, William just a breath away is not helping things. Especially when things shift between us and we start to make eye contact in meetings. Then he shows up in places I least expect him to.
Even though I’d promised myself I’d never wait around for another guy and postpone my own life, I’m afraid William Carter who looks at me as if I’m his and was always supposed to be his might ruin my hopeful plans.
But we both know we’re a losing game so we keep admitting that neither one of us has a crush on the other. Not anymore. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
It’s been a long time since I read a book by Ella Maise so I’m intrigued to see what she has to offer in this romance. I like books about unrequited crushes but I hope it also features a strong heroine to make it a stellar read. I’m just going to have to read it to find out.
The True Love Experiment
by Christina Lauren
Contemporary Romance
Releasing May 16, 2023
Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.
Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?
Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter.
But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element.
Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution.
What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to cast the contestants according to a list of romance archetypes.
When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.
Christina Lauren’s new release made my list of most anticipated romance books of 2023 and with good reason because it is amazing! I already read it and LOVED it so I of course highly recommend that you read it too.
I adore romance books about romance novelists but I also liked the reality TV show angle to this one -especially with all the romance archtypes heroes. Check out my review of The True Love Experiment then pick this up in May!
Liars Like Us
by J.T. Geissinger
Marriage of Convenience, Billionaire Romance
Releasing May 25, 2023
I’d barely been keeping my indie book store going even before the big national chain opened right next door, but I couldn’t deny the truth any longer: the end was here.
Devastated, I took my staff to dinner at a fancy restaurant to break the news. I didn’t realize anyone else overheard, but the devil has sharp ears.
Callum McCord walked into my store the next day and offered me an enormous sum of money to save my business. But his help comes with a price: Marriage.
He said he needs a wife in name only to fulfill a condition of his father’s will. He said I can have anything I want, including separate bedrooms. He said it’s the perfect arrangement for us both.
What he didn’t say is that though he acts like a gentleman, he’s anything but. Or that having separate bedrooms isn’t the only thing he’s lying about.
Geissinger keeps cranking out amazing romance books so of course her latest is going to make my list of must-reads!
I love the idea of a marriage of convenience love story in this billionaire romance but really I’m all about the steamy scenes that I know are coming 😊.
Related: Best Billionaire Romance Books, Best Marriage of Convenience Books
Related Book Lists:
- Most Anticipated New Romance Books Releasing in 2023
- Upcoming New Romance Books
- Must Read April 2023 New Romance Book Releases
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